Technical Field
This invention relates to the general technical field of exercise, physical fitness and physical therapy equipment and machines. This invention relates more specifically to the field of strength conditioning exercise machines wherein a movable user engagement means is operatively linked to a sliding while rotating user support wherein urging of the user engagement means by the user causes the user support to slide and rotate during the exercise motion.
Prior Art
Exercise, physical fitness and physical therapy equipment and machines are available in various configurations and for various purposes, and are available for all of the major muscle groups. The majority of such equipment and machines, especially in the exercise field, concentrate either on cardiovascular conditioning or strength conditioning. Strength conditioning machines can be configured with a combination of several features. Those features are categorized as (a) the movement pattern of the user engagement or engagements, (b) whether or not the machine comprises a user support and if the machine comprises a user support the user support can be stationary or movable, and (c) the resistance to the motion of the user engagement that creates the exertion for the user.
The movement pattern of the user engagement can either be machine guided or user guided. Machine guided strength machines have a predetermined movement pattern where the user only has to apply the force to move the user engagement feature but does not have to control the movement pattern. User guided machines allow the user to control at least a portion of the movement pattern. Stationary user support machines keep the users center of mass stationary throughout the exercise motion. Movable user supports cause the users center of mass to move when the machine is being operated. The resistance to the user engagement feature can either be the user's body weight, or a secondary source of resistance such as gravity resisted weights or an alternative resistance source or a combination of the user's body weight and a secondary source of resistance.
The purpose of strength conditioning exercise machines is to improve the performance of a human motion or motions whether it be an athletic motion or simply a daily activity. For athletic motions and most daily activities, humans are in full body motion such that most or all of the human body is moving during any activity. Therefore, strength conditioning machines that move the user's entire body during the exercise motion more closely simulate real world activities and are therefore more effective and useful at increasing the performance of the human body for those activities.
This inventor has previously developed other machines that cause the user support to move during the exercise motion and operation of the machine. However, the current invention is another type of movable user support exercise motion that fills a need not previously met.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,588 discloses this inventor's development of a composite motion movement machine, which combines a moving actuating member and a moving user support, the composite motion movement machine having a user support member, a stationary main frame on which the user support is located, the user support member being pivotally connected to the main frame, a truck in slidable engagement with the user support member and the main frame, an actuating user engagement member being pivotally connected to the main frame and operatively connected to the truck, the actuating user engagement member being adapted to move between a first position and a second position, and a linking mechanism operatively connecting said actuating member with said truck, wherein, when the user moves the actuating member between the first position and the second position, the truck moves along rails on the user support member and the main frame, forcing the user support to pivot relative to the main frame such that the user is exercising against the resistance of at least portion of their body weight combined with at least a portion of the user support frame and any additional secondary resistance that may be added to movement of the user support. This motion is a fixed arcing motion of the user support and an improvement to stationary user support machines.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,888,661 discloses this inventor's improvement on abdominal and core exercise apparatuses by utilizing a centrally pivoting linkage member that is operatively attached on a first end to a pivoting upper body actuating member and operatively attached on an opposite second end to a sliding while pivoting user support. When the user pulls the upper body actuating member with their arms towards the user support and pulls the user support with their legs towards the upper body actuating member, this causes the first end of the centrally pivoting linkage member to move downward and causes the opposite second end of the centrally pivoting linkage member to move upward, thus causing the sliding while pivoting user support to move in a direction towards the pivoting upper body actuating member with the user support pivoting upwardly from back to front. This causes the user's upper and lower extremities to be in an extended position in the first position of the exercise and in a contracted position in the second position of the exercise, thus causing certain muscles of the user's abdominals and core portion of the torso to be exercised. This concurrent pulling motion of the user's upper and lower body creates an integration motion exercise with total body movement, whereas the current invention creates an isolation motion exercise with total body movement wherein a single muscle group is targeted on each embodiment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,241 discloses this inventor's improvement on leg press exercise apparatuses by utilizing composite motion movement, which combines a moving actuating member and a moving user support, the machine having a user support member, a stationary main frame on which the user support is located, the user support member being pivotally connected to the main frame, a truck in slidable engagement with the user support member and the main frame, an actuating user engagement member for the user's feet being pivotally connected to the main frame and operatively connected to the truck, the actuating user engagement member being adapted to move between a first position and a second position, and a linking mechanism operatively connecting said actuating member with said truck, wherein, when the user moves the actuating member between the first position and the second position, the truck moves along rails on the user support member and the main frame, forcing the user support to pivot relative to the main frame such that the user is exercising against the resistance of at least portion of their body weight combined with at least a portion of the user support frame and any additional secondary resistance that may be added to movement of the user support. This motion is a fixed arcing motion of the user support and an improvement to stationary user support machines.
US Patent Publication No. 20140371036 discloses this inventor's development of a sliding while rotating user support exercise machine that comprises a three-bar tripod linkage system wherein one end of a first bar connects to the main frame, one end of a second bar connects to the traveling member, and one end of a third bar connects to the user support and the opposite end of all three bars converge to a floating central axle. The current invention improves upon this sliding while rotating multi-function exercise machine by creating greater rotation of the user support when the traveling member of each embodiment of the current invention travels the same distance as the traveling member of the multi-function exercise machine, thus creating a more dynamic motion that will more closely simulate real world activities. The current invention also addresses improving the sliding while rotating user support multi-function exercise machine by eliminating many components of the linkage system connecting the sliding while rotating user support to the stationary main frame, thus reducing costly components and reducing the number of wear parts.
Other exercise machines have been developed that have a movable user engagement means that is operatively linked to the user support. The deficiency of these machines are that they do not dynamically move the user's center of mass relative to the user engagement means during the exercise motion and thus are not as effective at simulating many everyday activities and natural body motions.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,880 of Webber shows a user support that pivots beneath and proximal to the user's center of mass and is operatively linked to a user engagement means. This stationary pivot motion creates minimal movement of the user's center of mass and therefore does not create dynamic movement of the user's hips relative to the movement of the user's hands or feet when activating the engagement means. This motion is inadequate to provide the dynamic motion required to simulate many athletic and daily activity movements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,760 of Bobroff and U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,158 of Drecksel show various types of horse riding simulation machines where the user support is pivoted to the main frame of the machine and operatively connected to a pivoting pulling arm such that the two stationary pivots move in fixed arcs relative to the main frame during the exercise motion. While this creates total body movement, the stationary pivot of the user support does not provide the dynamic movement preferred by many users to simulate a variety of everyday activities.